Lebanon's Finance Minister says 2026 budget to support financial regularity, social spending

Lebanon's Finance Minister, Yassine Jaber, met with the European Union Ambassador to Lebanon, Sandra De Waele, to discuss cooperation between the EU and Lebanon, particularly with the Finance Ministry.

The discussions touched on the ministry's ongoing preparations for the 2026 draft budget, which is being developed in collaboration with the EU.

Jaber said he is looking forward to a budget that reflects Lebanon's development strategies and reform objectives, which the government has adopted as its main priorities. 

These include reactivating governance and oversight bodies, restructuring banks, public debt, and the Eurobond portfolio.

He noted that the draft budget under preparation takes into account measures that would help put Lebanon on the right track toward financial regularity, paving the way for future budgets to increase spending on social sectors.

For her part, De Waele highlighted the EU's readiness to assist ministries in preparing their budgets, which would help the Finance Ministry allocate financial resources.